Sleep Apnea

Hello,
I have been diagnosed with sleep apnea for almost 5 years now. I am a 26 year old female. I haven't had my CPAP machine in almost 2 years because I left it at the airport on vacation and my insurance wouldn't cover another one. It never bothered me though becuz I never really felt tired. But Lately, I have been so extremely fatigued that it is debilitating. I get my normal sleep of 7-8 hours but I wake up feeling like I haven't slept at all. It's hard to get through my 9 hour work day without feeling like I am going to pass out. I can't concentrate on anything. I feel like I am in a brain fog. Has anyone else ever felt this way? I am wondering if it is from my sleep apnea or something else is now causing this. Any insight would be helpful. Thanks.

I am a 29 year old female with complex sleep apnea so I know exactly how you are feeling right now. Essentially, what is happening is since you're not using the CPAP now, you're accumulating more and more of a sleep debt. As you get older, it will continue to accumulate so you'll just feel more tired. I know the feeling well - trying to explain it to people I usually say, Imagine the most tired you've ever been and then imagine that every day.

You are not going to feel better until you start treating the apnea. You may be getting the same amount of sleep, but the sleep quality is poor. I, for one, can sleep for 12 hrs straight (without the CPAP) and wake up feeling like I could sleep for 12 more.

I'd suggest looking online for used machines or see if your durable medical goods provider would let you pay for the machine in installments over time (I had to do that to pay off my $7K machine that insurance would only pay $750 of).

I'd also suggest you go back to your sleep doctor and see if s/he would give you a stimulant to help you get through the day. It has made a world of difference for me (provigil and dexedrine) - I am actually awake during the day and can do my job. Good luck!

Last edited by moderator2; 09-27-2011 at 03:56 PM.
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